The Qur'an | CARM Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry by Matt Slick 12/12/08 The Qur'an (Koran, Quran) is the Holy Book of Islam and the religion's most sacred writing. Muslims consider it the actual word of Allah and not the word of Muhammad to whom it was given. Muslim tradition states that the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and gave him the words directly from Allah. These words were Allah's words of wisdom, truth, and commandments to His creation. The Qur'an (which means recitation) was revealed in the Arabic dialect used by the Quraish tribe of Mecca of that time. This dialect became the formal Arabic of the Islamic nations due to the distribution of Qur'anic scriptures throughout the Islamic empire. In the Arabic, the Qur'an is poetic in style with rhymes, meter, and shifts in line lengths. Those who speak the language say it is a beautiful work. The Qur'an deals mainly with what and how Allah wants mankind to believe and do in Man's moral struggle. Its primary theme is that of complete submission to the will of Allah. However, it also teaches . . .

there is only one sovereign God (3:191; 5:73; 112:1-4). there will be an end of the world and judgment day (:30; 35:33-37). those who are not Muslims will go to hell (2:24; 3:12). that those whose good deeds exceed their bad will obtain paradise (3:135; 7:8-9; 21:47). social and ethical behavior for Islamic society. In the year 610 (believed to be the 26th of Ramadan), while in a cave on Mt. Hirah, which is now called Mount Jabal Nur, Muhammad said that the angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to recite (96:1-19). From that point on, Muhammad claimed to have received revelations up to the time of his death--23 years later in 632. In these encounters with the angel Gabriel, sometimes Muhammad would see the angel, other times he would only hear him, and at others, he only heard the sound of a bell through which the words of the angel came.

Since Muhammad could not read or write, his companions wrote down what he said. These recitations were copied onto a variety of materials: papyrus, flat stones, palm leaves, shoulder blades and ribs of animals, pieces of leather and wooden boards. 1 Additionally, these sayings were also being memorized by Mohammad's followers. In fact, to this day, great emphasis is placed upon memorizing the entire Qur'an, and there are many thousands of Muslims who have committed it to memory. The work is roughly the same size as the New Testament. Apparently, there was no attempt made to collect all of the sayings given by Muhammad during his lifetime. After all, Mohammad was continuing to give 'recitations' on a somewhat regular basis. But, after he died in 632, Abu-Bakr, Muhammad's father in law, became the caliph (religious leader of the Muslims); and there was a small effort to collect the fragments of Qur'anic sayings into a common place. But, it wasn't until the fourth leader of Islam, Caliph Uthman, that the whole Qur'an was finally assembled, approved, and disseminated throughout the Muslim world.

The Quran also contains many biblical figures (Abraham, David, Moses, and Jesus) as well as non-biblical figures. However, some of the accounts of biblical characters are different from the Bible . The Quran is divided into 114 chapters called Surahs. The word surah means "row." Today the Koran is arranged with the longer Surahs first and the shorter ones after--with the whole thing divided into 30 approximately equal lengths. "Islamic law prohibits the touching of the physical Arabic Qur'an (and formal, but not casual, recitation) unless the person is in a state of purity which corresponds to the greater of Ablution . . . every Muslim must commit at least 12 vs. or lines of the Qur'an to memory." 2 The revelations are identified as having been revealed either in Mecca or Medina. Generally, those revealed in Mecca are the earlier ones and are more poetic and deal with apocalyptic themes. The Medina revelations deal more with the law of Allah. Many have noted that the arrangement of the Qur'an is not chronological or thematic. The subjects tend to be disjointed and shifting.

This is due in part to the directions of Mohammad to put certain savings in different places in the Surahs. Muslims are aware of this and considered as to be the divine order in the Koran. 1. Watt, W. Montgomery, Islamic Surveys: Bell's Introduction to the Qur'an, Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company, 1970, p. 40. 2. Glasse, Cyril, The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, San Francisco: Harper & Row, p. 220. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent." [Quran chapter 112] The first part of the Muslim testament of faith forms the basis for the concept of God in Islam. Muslims bear witness that: "There is no Deity worthy of worship but Allah". The concept of deity is strictly monotheistic and Unitarian. God alone has absolute being, totally independent and totally self-sufficient. Whatever exists or ever could exist does so by His will. He has no 'partner' either in creating the universe or in maintaining it in existence.

He is not only the 'First Cause' but also ultimately, the only cause and He is Himself uncaused (Hassan Gai Eaton - The concept of God in Islam). The second part of the testament of faith is: "Muhammad (peace be upon Him) is the final Messenger." Muslims hold in high esteem all the previous Prophets and messengers including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus and many more (peace be upon them all); all of whom submitted and surrendered themselves to the One God who created them and chose them to be the bearers of His message. As the Quran states: "Say, (O believers), "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims (in submission) to Him." Quran chapter 2 verse 136 Muhammad, the last Messenger The last and final Prophet in a long chain of prophets and messengers was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

He was sent to the lands of Arabia and thus spoke the language of Arabic. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent to re-affirm the message that all the previous prophets and messengers were sent with; i.e. calling to the worship of One God. Michael Hart, in his book 'The 100: a ranking of the most influential people in history' states: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive." Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a prominent figure is universal not only because of his message of equality, but because of his altruistic character. He constantly helped the poor and anyone who needed assistance of any kind. His teachings apply to any timeframe, to people from any part of the world, be they rich or poor.

Amongst his many wise teachings was: "Do not belittle even the smallest act of kindness, even if it were no more than greeting your brother with a smiling face". The following story demonstrates the Prophets altruism. An old woman had a habit of throwing rubbish on Prophet Muhammad whenever he passed by her house. When the old woman threw rubbish on him, he would pass silently without showing any anger or annoyance and this happened on a regular basis. One day when the Prophet was passing by, the woman was not there to throw the rubbish. The Prophet asked permission to visit the woman. He found that she was actually ill. She thought that he had come to take revenge when she was unable to defend herself. But the Prophet assured her that he had only come to see her and to look after her needs, as it was the command of Allah that if anyone is sick, a Muslim should visit and help them if their help is needed. The old woman was greatly moved by this kindness and love of the Prophet. By this example, she understood that he was truly the Prophet of God and Islam was the true religion. She subsequently embraced Islam.

In this manner, (before the Prophet died at the age of 63,) most of the people of Arabia had embraced the message of Islam, and in less than a century the message had spread to Spain in the west and as far east as China. In the Islamic view, the 'message' transmitted through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) represented, not a completely new religion, but a corrective to the falsifications and distortions which had taken place and at the same time, an uncompromising re-assertion of the pure doctrine of the One God. The Quran Just as the Prophets Moses, Jesus and David (peace be upon them) were given books of revelation (The Old and New Testaments and Psalms respectively; all of which Muslims acknowledge) so too was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The message brought by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was consolidated through successive revelations collectively known as the Quran. The Quran contains guidance for the whole of humankind and exists in exactly the same form today as it did when it was revealed 1400 years ago. "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.

Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." [Quran chapter 49 verse 13] The guidance contained in the Quran enables all of us to live a life in a way that God loves and is pleased with. As the Creator, God knows us best and is therefore best placed to guide us on how to "function optimally". Suppose you bought an iPhone, would you read an instruction manual produced by Sony Ericsson? Logically, no! The rationale is quite simple; the company that produces the phone knows its product inside out and so is best placed to write an instruction manual for its users. The same is true of us. God created us, therefore knows us better than we think we know ourselves. The Quran is therefore a handbook, from the Creator to the created. Allah says: "This (Quran) is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain (in faith)." [Quran chapter 45 verse 20] And in another verse: "O mankind!

there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,- and for those who believe, a guidance and a Mercy." [Quran chapter 10 verse 57] The Muslim A Muslim enjoys two very specific relationships: 1. A relationship with his/her Creator. This essentially strengthens one's faith and enables one to draw closer to Allah through engaging in acts of worship. 2. A relationship with the society within which he/she resides. Muslims have a responsibility to uphold basic moral values like enjoining good, forbidding evil, enjoining justice, fulfilling trusts, being kind to neighbours, helping those less fortunate etc.

There are numerous Quranic verses to this effect, for example: "Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but (true) righteousness is (in) one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask (for help), and for freeing slaves; (and who) establishes prayer and gives zakah; (those who) fulfil their promise when they promise; and (those who) are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous." [Quran chapter 2 verse 177] "Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing." [Quran chapter 4 verse 58] "Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression.

He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded." [Quran chapter 16 verse 90] Articles of Faith & Five Pillars of Islam Besides believing in One God, belief in all the previous prophets and messengers, and revealed scriptures, Muslims also believe in the existence of angels (for example, the archangel Gabriel responsible for bringing revelation), and a final day of reckoning (i.e. Judgement day) when every individual will be held to account for their actions. Their deeds will be judged by Allah and they will consequently enter paradise or hell. Allah is just and rewards and punishes fairly, however, one of His magnanimous qualities is that He is the most merciful of those who show mercy. Muslims also believe in the Divine decree or predestination; that all good and evil has been proportioned and that Allah has full knowledge of all things. However, every individual has free will within the realm of responsibility and is not pre-destined against their will, therefore is able to make choices in life. Apart from the above six tenets of faith, there are five fundamental duties that a Muslim willingly practices which are known as the 5 pillars of Islam.

Allah says in the Quran: "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah, Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, And who believe in what has been revealed to you, (O Muhammad), and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain (in faith). Those are upon (right) guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful." [Quran Chapter 2 verses 2-5] Practicing Muslims follow the commandments of Allah in order to seek His pleasure. But in addition to this, the commandments themselves contain certain inherent wisdoms. The five pillars of Islam thus form the basis of Muslim life. The first pillar as mentioned previously is to testify that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final messenger. This is in fact is the essence of Islam. The second pillar is to establish the five daily prayers. Allah says: "Indeed, I am Allah.

There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance." [Quran chapter 20 verse 14] And in another verse: "Recite, (O Muhammad,) what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do. [Quran chapter 29 verse 45] Prayer is a time to stand before Allah and express faith, give thanks for the blessings He has bestowed upon us as well as to seek guidance and forgiveness. Through bowing and prostrating to the ground, Muslims express their utmost humility before the Almighty. If we look at the concept of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) we see that there is a two-directional relationship between our thought processes (Neuro), our communication (Linguistic) and our behavior (Programming). If you change one, it has a knock on effect on the other two variables.

So if you change your behavior to perform prayer (which is a physical action as well as verbal communication with Allah) it will naturally affect your thought processes- increasing your faith as well as inspiring you to want to draw closer to Allah by performing righteous deeds. The third pillar is to fast during the month of Ramadhan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar) from dawn till sunset every day. Allah says: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous." [Quran chapter 2 verse 183] Fasting enables a person to develop self control and frees them to devote their body and soul to worship. Ramadhan is also a great opportunity to appreciate the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon us and gives us a taste of what the poor and hungry across the globe experience; often on a regular basis. The fourth pillar is 'Zakah' or giving 2.5% of ones surplus wealth to those ordained by Allah to receive it. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word Zakah means both 'purification' and 'growth'.

Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth. Allah says: "Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect (zakah) and for bringing hearts together (for Islam) and for freeing captives (or slaves) and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the (stranded) traveler - an obligation (imposed) by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise." [Quran chapter 9 verse 60] The active practice of zakah demonstrates that love for Allah in following His commandments is greater than the love for wealth. It also serves to help the poor, those in debt and protects the nation as well as strengthening one's faith. The fifth pillar incumbent upon a Muslim is that he/she performs the Hajj or known in English as the pilgrimage, at least once in their lifetime if they are financially able to do so. Allah says: "Indeed, the first House (of worship) established for mankind was that at Makkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs (such as) the standing place of Abraham.

And whoever enters it shall be safe. And (due) to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds." [Quran chapter 3 verses 96-97] On average, approximately 2 million people attend the Hajj every year and it is an amazing spectacle for all of humanity. It demonstrates unity despite multiplicity, inculcates a sense of humanity, and for the individual pilgrim, inspires patience and tolerance. The journey itself is wholly a spiritual one, incomparable to any other on earth. Although the dictionary defines Islam as 'the religious faith of Muslims' it is in fact much more than that. Islam is a way of life; an entire system of living that permeates every aspect of an individual's day to day activities. Practising Islam is truly fulfilling and enables one to be at peace with oneself, one's Creator, one's family, neighbours and with society at large.

The universe is filled - like a great picture book - with 'signs' which bear witness to its Creator and which reminds us, if we have pure hearts and seeing eyes, of God's power, majesty and His beauty. The Quran states: "Indeed, within the heavens and earth are signs for the believers. And in the creation of yourselves and what He disperses of moving creatures are signs for people who are certain (in faith). And (in) the alternation of night and day and [in] what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and (in His) directing of the winds are signs for a people who reason." [Quran chapter 45, verses 3-5] "In summary, the God of Islam is transcendent, the All Powerful, All Knowing Creator and lawgiver, though at the same time infinitely merciful, generous and forgiving. The human, His creature and servant, stands before Him without intermediary or intercessor, meeting Him through prayer during this brief life on earth, and meeting Him face to face when life is over. In Islam God does nothing like a human being and doesn't make Himself accessible through idols or images.

He is what He is, absolute and eternal, and it is as such the Muslim worships Him" (Hassan Gai Eaton - The concept of God in Islam). Share this: The Koran (Qur'an) | Jewish Virtual Library Tweet The Qur'an (in Anglicized form: Koran ) is certainly the greatest literary work in classical Arabic and for all Muslims stands as the definitive word of God (in Arabic: Allah ) spoken to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. When reading the Qur'an , you should realize that, for all Muslims, the text you are reading is quite literally the voice of God; because the Qur'an is the direct speech of God in Arabic, translation of the work is seen as blasphemy, as an unforgivable tampering with God's own speech. Nevertheless, the Qur'an has been translated into Turkish and Farsi (the language of Iran) in this century and is recited in these languages in religious services in Turkey and Iran. The Muslim community tolerates this but just barely. For all practical purposes, to be Muslim, then, means almost universally to be able to read and understand classical Arabic, despite what one's native language is [Ed.

a Muslim reader noted that many Muslims do not understand the language, but they must only read or say the words correctly]. The recitation began one night in the year 610 A.D. Muhammad was sitting alone in the wilderness near Mecca when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. The Angel called out to him with the command, "Recite! Recite! Recite!" Muhammad responded "I am not a reader." The angel recited three verses to him and when he awoke he had these verses, as he said, inscribed in his heart. These revelations continued for 10 days. Islamic scholars believe that the first revelation occurred on the night of the 27th day of Ramadan. This night is called the Laylat-al-Qadr (Night of Power). And according to the Quran, this is when God determines the course of the world for the following year.

1 From that point on, Muhammad believed himself to be a prophet and messenger of God, the last in a line of seven prophets (beginning with Abraham and ending with Jesus Christ, who was prophet number six) and responsible for inscribing the last and most important of God's direct messages to the world, the Arabic Recitation, which is the full name of the work. The people of God, that is, the Jews and the Christians, were going astray; the purpose of the Arabic Recitation was to restore God's faithful to the proper path. At different times in Muhammed's life the recitations would come to him; he would then repeat what he had heard and these would be memorized by certain people trained in remembering verses; some of these verses were written down on whatever was at hand. All these writings were collected in the caliphate of 'Uthman and the canonical text was established around 650 A.D. The writings were collected into a group of surah's and ordered according to length (each surah is meant to be a single recitation), though all Muslims also know the chronological or der of the recitations. The Qur'an is organized into separate chapters called surahs.

The order of the surahs, however, does not reflect the chronological order of the Quranic verses, nor does the surah structure reflect the nature of the original Quranic revelation. During his lifetime, Muhammad would have individual verses revealed to him; these revelations occurred unexpectedly and in surprising places. Typically, revelation would put Muhammad in a trance-like state. He, and others, would memorize the revealed verses and, under the guidance of Gabriel, Muhammad organized these verses into the existing surahs. The intervention of Gabriel in ordering the various verses in Islamic history is meant to guarantee not only the sanctity of the individual verses, but the religious validity of the organization of these verses in the Qur'an. The Qur'an was an oral text throughout the lifetime of Muhammad; it was also a fluid text. The complete text resided only in the memories of Muahmmad and his followers. As he added verses and reorganized the text, his followers would rememorize the text in the light of the additions or edits. This means that the Qur'an was a living text during the lifetime of Muhammad. Certain verses revealed to Muhammad were later repudiated by him as "satanic" verses revealed not by Gabriel but by Satan.

These verses were expunged from the text that so many had memorized. After the death of Muhammad, the text of the Qur'an was written down in the caliphate of Abu Bakr . Until 'Uthman, one and only one written text existed. For more than a decade after the death of Muhammad, the Qur'an remained primarily an oral text in the memories of the faithful. In Islamic accounts of the history of the Qur'an , this oral text was entirely faithful to the original verses  this is entirely possible, but Western historians generally agree that some corruptions must have produced slight variations throughout the Islamic world. Nevertheless, the military expansion of Islam led to two direct consequences concerning the integrity of the Quranic text. First, large numbers of the faithful were dying out in the various military expeditions. Each time someone died who had the Quranic text memorized, that meant that one copy of the Qur'an disappeared forever. Second, the expansion of Islam swelled the ranks of the faithful. Many of these new converts spoke other langagues and the original Arabic of the Qur'an began to corrupt.

Faced with these two threats to the integrity of the Qur'an , 'Uthman orderd a rescension of the text to be made and to serve as the definitive written version of the text. A rescension is a version of a text that is assembled from all the variant versions of that text. 'Uthman, however, relied on two sources: the written text that had been ordered by Abu Bakr and that still existed, and the various oral texts of Muslims who memorized it during the lifetime of Muhammad. In Islamic history, there is no variation between these two sources, so the Uthmanic "rescension" is largely a codifying of a single version of a text. This version, the 'Uthmanic rescension, is the version of the Qur'an that has remained, unchanged, the central holy text of Islam. The Qur'an has one overriding theme, endlessly repeated and elaborated throughout the text: complete submission (in Arabic: islam ; muslim means "one who submits") to the word and the will of God, who is one God and the only God. The God of Islam is both a stern judge and endlessly forgiving; obedience to God wipes away all transgression.

This submission, however, must be fully and rationally given; faith (iman ) is a rational consent to the truth of the word of God. Therefore, much of the Qu'ran concerns the word of God and how it is received and believed, or not received and believed as the case may be. Muhammad | CARM Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry by Matt Slick 12/12/08 Few people in all of history ever have an influence so far-reaching that the course of nations are changed. Jesus is one, and Muhammad is another. Muhammad, who lived in the 6th and 7th centuries in the Middle East, claimed to have received revelations from God; and it is from these revelations that Islam was founded. For Muslims, Muhammad is the final prophet of Allah who supersedes all other prophets and who alone delivered the final and perfect word of God. Whether or not you believe this, Muhammad is still an important figure in human history. Muhammad (full name is Muhammad Ibn Abdullah) was born in 570 in Mecca which is now located in Saudi Arabia. Mecca was then the cultural and religious center of Arabia.

The area had no central government and was full of semi-warring tribes with numerous, competing, polytheistic religions. At the heart of Mecca was the Ka'aba (cube in Arabic), a shrine about 60 feet by 60 feet by 60 feet, containing hundreds of idols. The Ka'aba was believed to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael on the same spot as the first shrine to God built by Adam. On the eastern corner of the Ka'aba is the Black stone called in Arabic, Hajar al Aswad. The Black Stone is probably a meteorite. Anyway, the Ka'aba was also known as the House of Allah where Allah was recognized as the supreme deity but was worshiped along with other deities. Muhammad is born Muhammad was born to his mother Amina, into the Quraish, the then ruling tribe of Mecca. Up to the age of eight, he was raised by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib because Abdallah, his father, died in Yathrib a few weeks before Muhammad was born. Amina, his mother, died when he was six. After the death of his grandfather, his uncle Abu Talib then assumed responsibility for raising Muhammad.

Abu Talib was a businessman involved in trade, so it is likely that Muhammad went with him on business trips and encountered both Jews, 280 miles to the north in Madina, and Christians also to the north and to the south in Nejran. His encounters with Jews and Christians seem to be reflected in the Qur'an in passages that refer to "The People of the Book" (3:64, 71, 187; 5:59). The term "People of the Book" is a reference to Jews and Christians who had received God's word through the prophets before Muhammad. At 25 years old, Muhammad was hired to manage the business of a wealthy widow named Khadija who was 15 years older than he. He went to Syria and traded there successfully. Apparently this impressed Khadija. She ended up proposing to Muhammad later, and in 595 they were married. They had two sons and four daughters: Zaynab, Ruqaiyah, Fatima and Umm Kulthum.

Muhammad and Khakija were married for 25 years until Khadija died at the age of 65 during the month of Ramadan--well after the start of Islam. Around 35 years of age, Muhammad assumed the habit of going outside of Mecca to Mt. Hira for meditation and contemplation. There was a cave where he often went for solitude. It was during one of these times of meditation that Muhammad said an angelic being appeared to him. This disturbed Muhammad (Qur'an 81:19-29), and he told his wife Khadija that he thought he had been visited by an evil Jinn. Jinn are supposed to be living beings like people, but not angels, who were created from fire and are invisible, yet dwell on the earth. A short time later, in the year 610 (believed to be the 26th of Ramadan), while in a cave on Mt. Hirah, Muhammad said that the angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to recite (96:1-19). This recitation became the Qur'an.

In these encounters with the angel Gabriel, sometimes he would see the angel; other times he would only hear him; and at others, he only heard the sound of a bell through which the words of the angel came. Muhammad could neither read nor write so he was instructed to memorize the words given to him by Gabriel. This complete recitation which Muhammad received over a 23-year period, ending in 632, the year of his death, is known as the Qur'an. Initially, Muhammad doubted that he was being called by Allah to be a prophet. Others, including his wife and a cousin, counseled him by saying that Allah would only be truthful to him and would not allow him to be deceived. Muhammad became convinced and even wrote in the Qur'an, "Say: Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel-for he brings down the (revelation) to thy heart by Allah's will, a confirmation of what went before, and guidance and glad tidings for those who believe," (2:97). Islam takes root It became the mission of Muhammad to proclaim the truth of Islam, given to him by Allah, through the angel Gabriel.

Muhammad called the people of his area to repent from their idol worship, to do good, and to serve the one and true God, Allah. He taught that man is God's slave, and it is his duty to submit to God and obey him. He said that the Day of Judgment was coming, and that a man's works will be weighed on that day. Those whose good deeds outweigh their bad may, by Allah's grace, be saved and enter Paradise which is full of sensual pleasures. The unsaved go to hell. His first converts were his wife, Khadija, his cousin Ali, and his adopted son Zaid ibn Haritha. Soon afterward, Abu Bakr also believed. In his first three years of proclaiming Islam, he had 40 converts. Though his continued preaching brought only a few converts, it did bring much opposition. The ruling tribe, the Quraish, tried to get Muhammad to stop his preaching by appealing to his uncle, Abu Talib. But, Muhammad adamantly refused to stop proclaiming the message he had received. Because Abu Talib was very influential in the Quraish, Muhammad's life was protected; and he was able to continue his preaching--which angered many people.

The Quraish began to persecute the Muslims by beating them and boycotting their businesses. Often times, during public prayers, Muhammad was accosted and mocked. His followers were likewise treated poorly. But, Muhammad remained steadfast. Because of the persecution, the Muslims moved to Abyssinia, Ethiopia today, and were protected by the Christian ruler there. After a time, he returned to Madina and continued his preaching. More converts joined his ranks, and more idolaters sought to defeat him. This is because the message of Islam was socio-political. Islam covers belief, society, behavior, ethics, etc. This monotheistic belief system threatened the lucrative business that grew around the pilgrimages to the Ka'aba that so many Arabs enjoyed. The ruling tribe, the Quraish, soon found that within their reign a small band of believers, a small "country" unto themselves, was rising up. The ruling party became more and more concerned and feeling threatened by the Muslims, they became more hostile towards Muhammad. In the year 620, Muhammad lost his beloved uncle Abu Talib (who never became a Muslim) and his wife Khadija.

"After a few months, Muhammad sought comfort by marrying the widow of one of the believers named Sawdah. He also later married Ayisha, the seven-year-old daughter of his friend Abu Bakr, who he took into his home three years later." 1 Also, According to Muslim historians, Muhammad had 12 wives when he died. Hegira Six-hundred-twenty-two (622) is a significant date for Muslims. It is known as the year of the Hijra or Migration from Mecca to Yathrib (which later became Medina) where they established their first real Islamic community. The Muslim calendar begins its history from July 16, 622, the first day of the lunar year in which the Hegira took place. In Medina, he preached about Allah and monotheism and urged all people to return to the true faith of Abraham. At that time in Medina, he would pray facing Jerusalem--as did the Jews who were very populous in that city. He preached about repentance, one God, and forgiveness of sins. His first sermon in Medina was on a Friday. Therefore, Islamic congregational worship occurs on Fridays. Gradually, however, the Jews began to disapprove of him and his movement.

He confronted them and told them they had misread the Scriptures. This estranged the Jews in the region; and finally one day while praying, he suddenly changed direction and faced Mecca. He said the Ka'aba, in Mecca, was the true place of worship since it was built by Abraham. To this day, all Muslims are supposed to face Mecca when praying. After two years in Medina, the Muslims were not fairing too well financially; and that, combined with mild persecution, prompted a revelation to come to Muhammad permitting him to raid passing caravans. This he did, and the Muslim financial problems were solved. Soon afterward, there was then a significant battle at Badr where Muhammad, with 350 men, defeated an army of 1,000 men. This boost gave confidence to the Muslims, encouraged more converts, and made the Quraish even more uneasy. In the fifth year of the Hegira, the Quraish tried to destroy the Muslims but failed. By now the Muslims were too strong so the Quraish never again tried to defeat them. Muhammad then set his sights on Mecca.

At one point in 628, Muhammad took 10,000 men and entered Mecca unchallenged. The leader of the Quraish converted to Islam. From there, Muhammad's movement gained further momentum. In 631 two tribes joined Muhammad. They were the Hijaz and Najd. From this time on, many battles ensured. In 625 there was the Battle of Uhud. In 627, the Battle of the Trench. In 628 Muhammad signed a treaty with the Quraish tribe. In 630 Muhammad had conquered Mecca, and he destroyed all the idols in Mecca. In 632, Muhammad delivers his last sermon, later falls ill and dies in the presence of his favorite wife, Aisha, and her father, Abu-Bakr. He was buried in Medina in his own house. His father-in-law, Abu-Bakr, then became Caliph, the religious leader of Islam.

Question: Muslims believe the verses of the Qu'ran were given by God to Muhammad through whom?
Answer: (Arch)ANGEL GABRIEL